Lessons from doing it alone

The high altitude, thin air and low temperature of the Yulong Snow Mountain make it a challenge for tourists to climb. [PHOTO BY CHEN MEILING/CHINA DAILY]

Also, more than 65 percent of Chinese female travelers said they wanted to feel a sense of freedom and independence, 63 percent said they wanted private space and 48 percent said they wanted to make new friends and experience something unique, the report said.

Zanna Van Dijk, a blogger from London who has more than 70,000 followers on Instagram, was quoted by British Airways that the modern female traveler is changing significantly.

Women now expect to explore and discover new things and not to be bound by the traditional concept of a family trip.

My eight-day journey to the old town of Lijiang, the snow-covered mountain, the rushing canyon and the mysterious Lugu Lake in Yunnan province earlier last month proved the point. And I also experienced the kindness of strangers.